Eamon McGee has called for stability in Donegal GAA after Paddy Carr’s surprise resignation as senior boss.
Carr’s coaches Aidan O’Rourke and Paddy Bradley are likely to remain in charge for this weekend’s Division 1 encounter in Roscommon.
Donegal have to win by a landslide, hope Tyrone defeat Armagh and Monaghan draw in Mayo if they’re to pull off the most unlikely of escapes on scoring averages.
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It’s been a tumultuous few months for Donegal GAA.
Rory Kavanagh was widely touted for the manager’s job but turned it down before the county turned to Carr.
Soon afterwards, iconic All-Ireland winning skipper Michael Murphy retired.
And a recent row over the Donegal academies saw director Karl Lacey resign from his post.
McGee believes a high-profile local appointment to supplement O’Rourke and Bradley could be important for Donegal at an uncertain time.
“I think it’s about stability at this stage of the game,” said the Gaoth Dobhair man.
“There’s a young enough group there and you need to get their head back in Donegal.
“People now, there is so much they can do. They can go travelling. They can go to Australia, America.
“It’s important. If they lose focus – get fed up with Donegal GAA – they could be on a plane and you might never see them again. There is still a lot of talent about Donegal here.
“It’s important to get them young fellas to keep the focus on Donegal GAA.
“To get rid of a manager mid season is a big statement and definitely the lay of the land up here in Donegal, and where it would be, it’s seismic.
“They’re probably going to have to look at the appointment process and the fingers will come back to certain members of the County Board about how this was allowed to happen.
“They have got to start planning for next year.
“We knew Declan (Bonner) was gone after the Armagh result in Clones. The whole process was so slow and dragged.
“That’s what led to this decision and where Paddy Carr unfortunately found himself.
“If that process hadn’t been so rushed and out of desperation, would Paddy Carr have been put in the situation he finds himself?
“I don’t think so. Now is the time to start looking, approaching people, building up a backroom team, getting the right work done – the right S&C people.”
McGee continued: “If you were to ask me in 2016, I thought we were in a good spot and we had left all that stuff behind.
“In the Noughties, we were just a joke shop. I thought Jim (McGuinness) had raised the standards and we’d left it behind.
“A person I was chatting to said what Jim and Rory (Gallagher) did after him, and Declan (Bonner) to a degree, was paper over the cracks. These things were still happening.
“The faults were still there. The mediocre culture. It’s just we didn’t see it. We were in the bubble, things were going well. Getting to Ulster finals – training hard. The planning just wasn’t happening.”
Gaoth Dobhair man McGee says the “one silver lining” about the whole affair is Donegal can begin rebuilding for 2024 now.
“Things have got so bad and it’s all out in the open, that there is no other option,” said McGee
“Going back to what it used to be or what we did before, it’s just not good enough.”
On Donegal’s future management team, McGee said: “I predict that they (Bradley and O’Rourke) will stay on for the Championship.
“Now I wouldn’t be surprised if someone from the 2012 squad or some coach that’s about Donegal GAA gets involved with them.
“Neil (McGee) is fairly busy, but someone like him who’d have a connection with the players.
“I think McGuinness has more or less said, ‘Listen, I am here to help out but my route is still the soccer route. With my badge I can’t say I’m the Donegal manager, but as a Donegal man I will go in and help out.
“That’s what his role was with the Lacey/Kavanagh ticket (for the Donegal job last year), from an advisory point of view.
“A lot can happen in a few months. He is definitely someone we can look towards.”
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